Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday said the Department of Justice (DOJ) will seek clarification from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on how former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque was allegedly able to obtain three passports, even as efforts are underway to modernize border control systems to prevent wanted individuals from entering the country.
“We will ask the DFA about it because the DFA is doing that, not the DOJ, not the [Bureau of] Immigration,” Remulla told reporters during a border control inspection at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City.
Roque is currently facing arrest, along with Cassandra Ong and others, over charges of qualified human trafficking related to the Lucky South99 Scam Hub based in Porac, Pampanga. The warrant was issued earlier this month by the Angeles City Regional Trial Court Branch 118.
Remulla confirmed that the DOJ has already initiated the process of cancelling Roque’s passport before the same court, saying it is a necessary step to hold him accountable and ensure his presence at trial.
“This will limit his options. It’s important that he answers the charges in court and defends himself,” he said.
In response, Roque called the cancellation “premature,” pointing out that a motion for reconsideration is still pending before the DOJ.
“In my Motion for Reconsideration, I stated that not a single piece of evidence was presented to prove that I committed the overt act of organizing, providing financial support, or directing others to commit any act of human trafficking,” Roque said in a statement.
Amid these developments, Remulla revealed plans to bolster immigration control through a new advanced passenger information system designed to intercept wanted individuals even before they can disembark in the Philippines.
“We have an advanced passenger information system and we are looking at other security measures so that we can know if we have any arrivals who should not enter our country and we can then board them again,” Remulla said. “Identification is very fast with this system—it’s almost without human intervention.”
He explained that once implemented, the system would allow immigration officers to detect criminal records automatically as passports are scanned.
Among the other initiatives are e-gates aimed at streamlining passenger check-in, reducing waiting times to 20–30 minutes. Remulla said the overhaul of NAIA’s immigration operations also includes improved time-and-motion efficiency for frontline officers.
He credited the Department of Transportation, led by Secretary Vince Dizon, for integrating the Bureau of Immigration’s operational needs into airport planning and praised the private airport operator for its cooperation.
Additionally, Remulla announced the allocation of 15 immigration counters dedicated to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), along with the deployment of specialists from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to respond to potential trafficking cases.
“These reforms are designed not only to secure our borders, but to ensure that justice is served—whether it’s stopping fugitives at the gate or ensuring that our citizens, especially OFWs, receive the support they deserve,” he said.
